Reviewer's Bias*
Loves:Spy spoofs, Kick-ass action, spy gadgets, Julia Ling, The Awesomes
Likes: Chuck, Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski
Dislikes: Most 3-D home video
Hates: Not getting commentaries

The Story So Far...
Chuck tells the story of the titular hero (Zachary Levi), a slacker in a dead-end big-box store gig, until one day he gets an e-mail that downloads all of America's security information into his head, turning him into the Intersect, a human computer. As a result, he now has a pair of government handlers, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and John (Adam Baldwin), and finds himself deep into the spy biz. The first season was released on DVD in September of 2008, and DVDTalk has two reviews of the set0.

The Show
After an abbreviated first season that introduced Chuck and his circle of family, co-workers and protectors, the second season dove into the world of Chuck headfirst, fleshing out the characters (and especially the supporting cast,) first by showing us more of the mysterious Sarah via flashbacks to her childhood and then revealing the history of the Intersect, both of which help solidify the show's foundation. A high-concept show like this, in which you have a geek become a government agent thanks to a computer in his head, could easily run its course quickly once the gimmick of his abilities loses its novelty. By expanding on not only his situation but on the characters around him, the show built a full-fledged universe.

The season opens with the near-completion of a new Intersect, which threatens to make Chuck's brain obsolete. It's a recurring theme throughout the season, as there are repeated questions about the value of Chuck to the government, and why exactly Sarah and John do the things they do to protect him. The evolving romantic tension between Chuck and Sarah, who are dating for a cover, but are feeling a non-assigned attraction as well, powers much of the season's storylines, from complicating the return of the legendary Jill, who broke Chuck's heart in college, to her actions in the season-ending arc. It'd be hard for Chuck not to fall for Sarah, considering how, as played by Strahovski, she is simply the sexiest spy ever, yet it works fine the other way, as Levi's goofy charm could easily win her over.

One of the more engaging plots explored this season has to be the journey into adulthood for Chuck and Morgan. The writers smartly paralleled the two characters as they are challenged to grow, with Chuck becoming more of a spy and wanting more control over his life (while discovering how much of it had been pre-ordained,) while Morgan tries to figure out just what it is he wants in life when his comfortable little retail job and the accompanying life he's lived are complicated by a progressing relationship with Anna and changes at the store. The show's dynamic, where the store is a cover and escape for Chuck, doesn't work well if things change, so exploring growth like this is a tricky move, one with an effect that won't be felt until the third season. What stays consistent though, and likely resonates hugely with the show's audience, is the integration of geek culture into the show, from video games to music, and especially movie and TV show references. While understanding them all isn't necessary to fully enjoy the show, it definitely adds to one's experience.

While the stories are top-notch, the action is a huge draw, and this show knows how to do beat-em-ups and explosions as well as anyone. The spy side of the show, and the fun they have with secret identities and fights, keeps things rolling quickly through each 42-minute episode, and the level of inventiveness takes it to another level. One fight with Sarah takes place inside a car, resulting in astonishingly close combat that's freaking brilliant, on a level traditionally reserved for a Jet Li or Jackie Chan. That they can blend hardcore action with very-funny comedy is probably the show's strongest point (outside of the cast) because it makes for a well-rounded series. If any episode is the perfect example of what Chuck is, at its best, it's "Chuck vs. Santa Claus," a Christmas episode set during a hostage situation at the Buy More. Both sides of Chuck's life collide, which makes things beyond complicated for him, as he has to keep his cover and save the day.

The thing that really makes the show work well this season is how independent Chuck's Buy More life is from his Intersect life. You could practically separate the two and make a pair of series that stand on their own, one a high-energy action series and the other a workplace comedy. That's thanks in large part to the supporting cast the show has developed. It's rare that you have characters like Chuck's Nerd Herd pals Jeff (Scott Krinsky) and Lester (Vik Sahay), as un-dynamic a duo as any, who can actually carry a B-plot all by themselves. Throw in sexy Anna Wu (Julia Ling) and her on-again, off-again relationship with Chuck's best bud Morgan (Joshua Gomez) and newly-arrived and highly-scheming assistant manager Emmitt (Tony Hale (Arrested Development's Buster)) and you have an incredibly deep roster to pull from when building an episode.

And that's just the group at the Buy More, as you have even more to work with at home, as Chuck's sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and her fiance Devon, a.k.a. Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) are tremendous as Chuck's most stable influences. Though Devon was a bit of a hanger-on in the first 13 episodes, he grows tremendously here, and is, as the name says, awesome, while sweet and caring Ellie is simply the sister every person would want to have. There's even more family to be met later on in the season, all played by some big names, including a sci-fi icon in a major role. That's not the end of the guest stars either, as this season is bursting with them, including the brilliant John Laraquette as a holdover Bond-like agent, the very funny Jed (GalaxyQuest) Rees, as well as an assortment of fun picks like Jenny McCarthy, Andy Richter, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Nicole Ritchie, Chevy Chase, Tricia Helfer and, in what might be the most inspired bit of casting, Reginald Vel Johnson. To explain who he plays would ruin the gag, but anyone who enjoys this show should get it quickly.

If there's anything about the show that's a negative, it's the amount of product placement. While I understand that this commercial tie-in basically is keeping the show on the air, and appreciate it for that purpose, wow, is it blatant. In one scene, two characters compete to eat a chain restaurant's sandwich, with people in the background holding cups from said establishment, while in another, Morgan tempts his boss, Big Mike, with a sandwich, while essentially reading ad copy to him. It's as close to a commercial in a show as you can get without someone says "and now, a word from our sponsor."

The DVDs
The 22 episodes from Season 2 of Chuck are spread over six DVDs, which are packed in a double-width clear keepcase with three two-sided trays and a double-sided cover. Inside, is a 16-page booklet with episode info and photos (and spoilers, so beware), along with two pairs of paper 3-D glasses. The whole thing is packed in a sturdy, embossed cardstock slipcase, making for an impressive set. The discs feature static, full-frame menus offering a choice to play all the episodes, select shows, check out the extras or adjust languages. Audio options include an odd mix of English and Portuguese, while subtitles are available in English SDH, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese and Thai. There's no closed captioning included.

The Quality
The anamorphic-widescreen transfers on these episodes are surprisingly disappointing, offering up an image that's soft overall and far too heavy with compression artifacts (as well as the occasional bit of dirt and damage.) The colors look solid though.

The audio is delivered in Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, which have nice separation between the center channel and the side and rear speakers. The surround speakers handle the music, along with some atmospheric effects, and present some panning, but it's not as active as you might expect expect for a show like this.

The Extras
The extras kick off with the 20-minute, two-part "Truth, Spies and Regular Guys: Exploring the Mythology of Chuck," which can be viewed all at once or in separate segments. In some ways, it's a primer on Chuck or the Cliff's Notes version, loaded with interview clips with the cast and crew. I'm not sure who the audience is for the featurette, since it is packed with spoilers if you haven't seen the episode, but if you've watched the show, you know basically everything they talk about.

The nearly 18-minute "Dude in Distress" has more of what a fan would want, as it takes a look back at the season's big action sequences, with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew, giving insight into how they came together.

Over 32 minutes of "Declassified Scenes," 40 in all, are spread over the six DVDs. They are mostly extensions of scenes that were included in the show, or alternate scenes, but none of them reveal much more than what aired. Only a post-wedding scene with Sarah offers up something unique from what was shown in the show. More entertaining are the nearly eight minutes of bloopers (along with some romance, stunts and dancing) in the "Chuck vs. the Chuckles." Among the stand-outs are Sahay's reactions to screwing up a complicated line and Strahovski's pistol misfire.

Five webisodes from NBC.com are available to watch on disc five and, as of this review, still on the site. There's no Chuck to be found in these 10 minutes if faux Buy More employee-training videos, but there is a fun one with Adam Baldwin and some silliness with the Nerd Herd. Including the character of the British director makes little sense if they are supposed to be training videos, and he really doesn't add anything. Plus, the "Leadership" clip, which features Big Mike, Morgan and Anna, fails to go anywhere at all before grinding to a halt.

What seems like more webisodes actually appear to be DVD exclusives in the form of four "Real-Life Captain Awesome Tips," in which Captain Awesome himself explains how to be awesome at things like job interviews, running into an ex, high-school reunions and first dates. To be honest, these feel more like Season One Awesome, as he's more of a stereotype than the character he is in Season Two, but if you like your Awesome over the top, feel free to indulge.

Another piece that seems perfect for online consumption is "John Casey Presents: So You Want to Be a Deadly Spy?," a 2:39 educational-film spoof. Being so open about being a spy seems way out of character for John, but Baldwin makes it fun anyway.

Also included on this set is the 3-D version of the episode "Chuck Vs. The Third Dimension," which you can watch with the included glasses. This episode had the unfortunate timing of being viewed right after I saw Avatar in IMAX 3-D, the absolute pinnacle of 3-D entertainment. By comparison, the blue and amber anaglyph technology is hard to watch, with all but the color green (which is good, since the Buy More is all green) getting mostly wiped out. The 3-D effects are good, especially in the redesigned opening titles, and there's not a lot of the usual in-your-face gimmicks (outside of a throwing knife aimed at the viewer.) For all its faults, it was nice of them to include it here for fans to have.

The Bottom Line
I gave up on watching this series after Season 1, mostly due to the bizarre position it holds on the NBC schedule, appearing randomly in the middle of winter. But that was a mistake on my part, as Season 2 is even better than Season 1, upping the ante in every way imaginable, while creating an incredible cast of characters you just want to spend more and more time with. The DVDs don't look so hot, but sound quite nice, and the bonus material, though not overly extensive, is interesting enough to check out. The only question is whether is raises the set over a collection of well-DVR'd episodes. If you like 3-D a lot, sure, but otherwise, there's not enough added to the pile. For those catching up though, it's a must watch.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.